Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Saya Mengaku Salah


You're not a true Malaysian until you mengaku salah at the Majistret for parking without kupon offences dated 2003.

Thank you for all your well wishes.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Rawa Island Retreat

I was at a loss for words. I will never go to Krabi or Phuket ever again. Because this mutherofallbeach totally blew us away!
Here's my report.

Date: 18th October 2008. The pre-monsoon season.
How we got there: Drove to Mersing, by the 'Kota Tinggi' way. Some windy trunk roads. Some fog. Many plantations along the way. Overtaking skills are put into good use here.
We set out at 6.15am to catch the 9am boat. There are two trips to Rawa daily and they're at 9am and 12 noon. To make full use of the day, we opt for the 9am ride.


After stopping for a quick breakfast in Mersing town, we made the final stop at Rawa office, at the Mersing jetty. They have a private parking lot for you if you drive. There, you pay the remaining reservation fees. If you didn't get to book your dream chalet, here is the time to ask if there is any left. Chances are, someone may cancel their bookings. I actually got to choose if I wanted the beachfront unit, but I passed, because it had two single beds. Not good if you have a kid who sleeps WILD.


"I'm an emo model. Bite me"


Rawa jetty


Boat ride. The sea is smooth, the sky is clear!


P A R A D I S E




The FUN slide.


Postcard shot.


The restaurant.


Pathway to our Hillside Standard room.


I just love these pebbled wall chalets.


The room. No electricity from 9am to 12 noon, everyday. It's basic. A thick mattress, NO blanket, air con, wall fan, side table, a dresser, two rattan armchairs, a coffee table, bathroom with shower. The sink was leaking though but hey look at the beach, all your worries slip away...



The time to swim is 10am. Perfect tide. You'll know why later. Luckily we took the earliest boat ride or else we'd have missed this.

Shady part under the jetty.




After a hearty buffet lunch, delicious by beach resort standard, we lazed on the hammock and took a nap. I was eagerly waiting for the evening for another swim.


Then evening came. I woke up at 4.30pm sharp to get ready. We put on our swimwear and head out.

WHERE IS MY PARADISE?! This is awful! We can't swim! And nobody is! Oh no, this is bad! I was sorely disappointed.
These are actually beautiful corals and wonder awaits.




It wasn't that bad after all. We had fun catching crabs and admiring the corals. It was kind of a blessing in disguise because we could see all these beautiful corals upclose without having to dive/snorkel.






We found this secluded sandy spot at the end of the beach.



The jetty after sunset. It looked so hauntingly beautiful.


BBQ dinner. The prawns were fabulous. Now the tricky part. There aren't many entertainment on the island. We had no TV in our rooms, which I thought was a good thing. For after dinner recreation, there is an internet and TV room where you can bring your own DVD to play. ASTRO is shown at the restaurant area on projector screen ( usually sports channel ). There is also snooker tables ( quite expensive rental though), some board games, ping pong and loads of magazine to browse. Coincidently someone was playing Monster House DVD so Daniel 'tumpang tonton' while Paul and I had a whale of a time playing ping pong. Such simple fun.


The next morning, I set out on my own at 8.30am to take a stroll along the beach.

A school of fish below the jetty. There are plenty of other pretty fishes around the jetty so it's a good spot to snorkel.

My beautiful beach is back.



Some of my favourite shots. The light was just amazing.





Goofing around before departure.



We stayed for one night, and we're definitely going back there next year. It's just too beautiful not to!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Recession Proof Career

Top 5 Recession Proof Career

1. Prostitution (booming lately due to increased number of stressed men)
2. News anchor, radio DJ, singer, actor, model, the sexier the better.
3. Psychologists, therapists, counselors, the sexier the better.
4. Porn.
5. Tobacco.

Need a change?

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Two Blue Lines

Three years ago around this time, I was reeling from shock. The shock that followed after my eyes set upon two blue lines that appeared almost instantly on the home pregnancy kit. The two blue lines that changed my life. The two blue lines that I wasn't ready to see. The two blue lines that were saying "Yes, it's true. Deny all you want".

I was almost 28.

The immediate thoughts were:
1. THIS CAN'T BE IT. But I knew kits were pretty accurate, no point peeing on 9 sticks.

2. This CAN'T be it.

3. NO WAY. I'm not fertile! OK, gimme some time for this one as it goes a long way back. All my life, I'm fed with the idea that I, will not be able to bear a child. Because as a young girl, I was scrawny skinny gangly and looked fragile ( I actually wasn't ). You know how when aunts and moms gather to chat and gossip and make up stories, in the end of it all, they always turn to me and shake their head. Once, in a fit of rage (I merely forgotten to drink the tonic she brewed that day), she laid a curse on me that felt so real I knew it's going to be real. In that 5 minute curse, sentences like these became a permanent mantra in my head ever since, even till now. "You will NEVER bear a son for Paul" "You will NEVER have babies"
Caught your skin didn't it. Then my vision came back to the two blue lines.

4. But we're NOT married yet. This is the thrilling part. It was a wee bit too soon. Or maybe it was an alarm clock. He proposed on Valentine's day that year. He cooked lamb chop and cut carrots into shape of hearts. I was home late after a long traffic jam. I was cranky, but he was patiently waiting. We ate our candlelit dinner. And he says the usual prelude men sometimes say when they are about to dig their own graves, like "We've been together for how long darling? 5 years? And in this 5 years, we...*this this this*. You *this this this*, I *this this this*" I didn't see it coming really. And then he kneeled down, with a ring in his hand. Instantly, I cried. This is the mysterious part. I had absolutely NO control why I cried. I would NEVER cry at proposals! It still makes me wonder. Maybe the heart says its for real. Another funny part is, we never planned our wedding after the engagement. Traditionally, after you get proposed, you announce it, then you set the date and start planning like any good girl would do right? We did not. It was la la la, just another day today and tomorrow, la la la.

Until the two blue lines.

The two blue lines that stopped the time, and changed almost everything I once believed in.

Now, for the first time, we WANT to see two blue lines. We want to smile and cry for joy. We humans are picky and demanding innit.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Beach Itch

Every year around this month, I get this urge to hit the beach. It HAS to be September/October when the monsoon is near and the resorts are all booked. I don't get this itch any other months. I have this affinity towards the unattainable and sometimes ridiculous stuff. So, I'll be spending the next couple of weeks resisting this itch coz i ain't go nowhere.

While the itchy fingers surfed some beach holiday sites, I recalled a new boutique resort in Pulau Tioman. Boutique resorts in Tioman or any other West Coast islands in Peninsula Malaysia are literally unheard of.

Lo and behold the Japamala Resorts took my breath away.

It's something you'll expect in Bali or Ko Samui. But it's at Pulau Tioman! Somewhere I can actually get to without flight! We can drive to Mersing and take the ferry. It's so doable!



This place seriously spells honeymoon. But I wanted to include the little noisy non-stop monkey. So I called them up.

Villas and chalets are built on the cliff. Sure, the view could be breathtaking but I don't want to lose my breath catching the little rascal hanging on the balcony. But then so far, he's a sensible kid who is afraid of height and danger so it's unlikely to catch him hanging onto anything . Then again he's 3 and anything is possible. Dilemma!

Oh lordy my entire being is itching with the beach bug!

Monday, October 06, 2008

Sunday Afternoon

The boy has been watching too much TV. Too much Tom and Jerry. So I had to do something more interesting to a 3 year old.

From the box of BUNCHO oil pastel PC gave me back in 1998, I made him these.


First from left. PikPokBuggyWok. A cute bug by day, evil slaying villain by night. Spots on his face becomes his poisonous weapon which he shoots at 380kmh and instantly immobilizes and digests his victims into a pulp of tonic goo which he sips while strategizing his world domination.
Then there's the chick. Got blonde hair OK.
And the Ultraman ( in case you can't recognize, the third one from the left, like duh) is a mistake I know. Where Ultraman got blue light at his forehead wan! Any Ultraman expert care to share your expertise? And oh, the Spidey is a masterpiece I know! I can, like sell it on ebay yeah!



Just goofing around.